Peace

Definitions of the word peace: 1) freedom or a period of freedom from public disturbance or war; 2) a quiet and calm state of mind; 3) agreement and harmony among people; 4) an agreement to end war

Of all the wonderful words we find in the Bible one might wonder why I would choose to share my thoughts on the word peace before any of the other great words in the scriptures. I certainly realize that there may be a number of words that carry a greater degree of importance. I also understand that everyone has their own opinion regarding what should be the more important words. But for me, no other word really sums up the totality of the results of the salvation experience. It is a word that has become the very essence of my ability to describe what has happened in my life since I have been saved. So, let’s take a look at this wonderful word of life.

Obviously, the Bible has a lot to say about peace and it is used in a number of different contexts. In the King James Version the words translated peace are used over 400 times. As we study God’s Word, we find that there are different types of peace. These include peace of God, peace with God, peace with man, inner peace and false piece just to name a few. However, an in-depth study of all these would take many hours and is a matter of subject for a later time. What I would like to do is look at what peace means to me and I hope what it means to other believers.

Although I have been saved for many years, God has used many things throughout my life to teach me truths that I otherwise would probably have not discovered on my own. One of those experiences happened about 25 years ago during a critical point in my life. I had made a very difficult decision to make a career change that would have a significant effect on my financial situation and in turn create a great deal of stress in our family. But I was convinced that it was what God wanted me to do. However, after many struggles with no positive results I began to develop the feeling that God had abandoned me and my life was not counting for anything worthwhile.

During this time, the owner of the company I worked for was visiting my office and we spent all day together making calls on potential clients. We didn’t have much success and it was apparent he was becoming very irritated. When we returned to the office we sat in the car and talked. Then suddenly he asked me a question I didn’t expect. His question was this; “How can you remain so calm? What is it you have that I don’t have?” Without thinking I said “I have a peace that goes beyond human understanding because it comes from God.” There is no doubt in my mind that God gave me those words and proved that He was still there. This led to the opportunity for me to share a witness with him.

This man did not respond to the gospel, but this became a significant event in my life. For the first time, I realized that God had given me that peace and that I was totally secure in Him. This peace is a gift from Him because of His love for us, His mercy on us and His wonderful grace. There is no better way, in my opinion, to describe what He has done for me than to know that I have the peace of God and that I have peace with God because I have trusted in what Jesus did for me on the cross.